Suffering from PTSD should not be a literal ‘get out of jail free’ card
OTTAWA—Last week, yet another disturbing story surfaced regarding the military and sexual misconduct. A retired Special Forces major told the CBC that he felt betrayed when senior military leaders provided glowing character references to the fellow soldier who was convicted of sexually assaulting his wife. The incident occurred in 2017 following the conviction of Major […]
MacAulay says ‘progress’ being made cutting veterans’ benefit backlog amid COVID-19
Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay reiterated Monday that there are encouraging signs his department is headed in “the right direction” on its goal of bringing the backlog of veterans’ applications for disability benefits “under control” by 2022. Testifying before the House Veterans Affairs Committee Monday, Mr. MacAulay (Cardigan, P.E.I) said he is “confident” that will […]
Plight of veteran caregivers in Canada requires immediate government attention
Since the enactment of the New Veterans Charter in 2006, the National Council of Veteran Associations (NCVA) has taken the strong position that the government has not sufficiently addressed the plight of veteran families, particularly in circumstances where a member of the family, often a spouse, is required to act in the role of caregiver […]
Elephant in the room remains at Veterans Affairs Canada
In these challenging times, and with a pending election on the horizon, Canadian veterans and their families will be closely monitoring all federal leaders to determine which party is prepared to make a substantial commitment to rectifying the shortfalls and inequities which continue to be found in veterans’ legislation. The National Council of Veteran Associations […]
New veterans watchdog says she has ‘solid mandate,’ working ‘flat out’ in first weeks on the job
Canada’s new veterans watchdog Nishika Jardine says her office has a “solid” mandate and will not be “hampered in any way” by the reporting structure to a cabinet minister rather than Parliament, as her predecessor has suggested. The former Army officer officially started the five-year appointment on Nov. 23, less than two weeks after the […]
Graduates of trauma support centre for military, vets, first responders, warn of more suicides if PTSD program can’t find funding
A treatment program for military personnel, veterans, and first responders suffering from post traumatic stress disorder is struggling to find funding, and graduates of the program warn that lives could be on the line if the program is forced to downsize. Project Trauma Support is a six-day program run on a rural property near Perth, […]
The civilizing effect (touch wood) of lockdown on social media
For all the incalculable personal tragedy and economic disruption the COVID-19 pandemic has produced, there have been, if not entirely countervailing positives, at least unintended consequences of the rare, uplifting variety. One of them is that social media seems to have become less toxic in lockdown. I have nothing beyond anecdotal evidence for this assertion, […]
The Hill to honour Remembrance Day in minimalist ceremony with vintage flyover
As the National Remembrance Day Ceremony will be scaled down amid the COVID-19 pandemic, onlookers will be gazing up to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. To mark the milestone, three vintage aircraft will fly over the Hill at the end of the ceremony. The flyover will include the […]
Veterans Affairs’ backlog and wait-times ‘a perfect storm’
OTTAWA—The National Council of Veteran Associations in Canada (NCVA) continues to call for dramatic and innovative steps to be taken by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) to address the current unacceptable backlog and turnaround times experienced with respect to veterans’ disability claims. As Veterans Affairs Deputy Minister Walt Natynczyk stated before the House Veterans Affairs Committee […]
Scaled-down Remembrance Day Ceremony to mark 75th anniversary of end of Second World War
In a typical year, thousands of Canadians gather near the National War Monument to mark Remembrance Day. But 2020 isn’t a typical year. While the Royal Canadian Legion will still hold a ceremony, it will do so with a maximum of 100 people present, as spectators are being discouraged from attending. There will be no […]
